Housing & Food - Catholic Charities, Diocese of Trenton

We provide basic needs assistance, including rapid re-housing and temporary housing, a food pantry, free clothing & household goods.

New Jersey’s cost of living is the third highest in the nation, so it is not surprising that we assist more people through these services than any other within the organization. The percentage of working families seeking assistance with food has increased dramatically.

Believing that everyone deserves a chance to achieve self-sufficiency, our programs are designed to support immediate basic needs while providing opportunities for developing financial literacy, marketable job skills and help in obtaining permanent, affordable housing.

Food pantries in Burlington, Brick, and Trenton continue serving people in need, but staff are distributing pre-packed bags at the door. Also our food pantries have modified operating hours:

Mercer Community Services Food Pantry (located at Mount Carmel Guild)
73 North Clinton Avenue, Trenton, NJ 08609
Mondays through Fridays 9:30am to 11:30am AND Wednesdays 1:00pm to 3:00pm
Burlington Community Services Food Pantry
450-460 Veterans Drive Burlington, NJ 08016
Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays 9:30am to 11:30am AND 1:30pm to 3:30pm
Ocean Community Services Food Pantry
725 Mantoloking Road, Brick, NJ 08723
Mondays through Thursdays 9:00am to 12:00pm

Please note, the following rules apply to the Mercer, Burlington and Ocean county locations.

You must renew your household information to receive ongoing Food Pantry, Clothing Closet merchandise, and to be eligible for holiday events.

You need to bring:

Photo Id – Primary Participant (Green Card or Passport)
Social Security Card
Birth Certificate or Proof of Date of Birth
Proof of Income
Proof of Residency (Lease)
Names of all household members
Social Security Cards of all household members
Birth Certificate or Proof of Date of Birth of all household members

To receive ongoing essential services, it is necessary to produce the required documentation. It is our core mission at Catholic Charities to serve all people in their time in need.

Community Food Pantry

Pre-packed food bags provide 3 meals per day for 3 days of each household member.

Burlington County: 450-460 Veterans Drive, Burlington, NJ 08016 – 856-764-6940
Mercer County: Mount Carmel Guild, 73 N. Clinton Avenue, Trenton NJ 08609 – 609-392-5159
Ocean County: 725 Mantoloking Road, Brick, NJ 08723 – 732-363-5322

SNAP Assistance (formerly known as Food Stamps)

Through a grant from the Walmart Foundation, we are able to perform outreach, education and enrollment assistance to residents of Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean counties who are interested in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Burlington County: 450-460 Veterans Drive, Burlington, NJ 08016
Contact number for all 4 counties: 609-414-1519 or 609-392-5159 x103 (Spanish)

Click on the image below to learn more (document is in both English and Spanish):

If you are interested in SNAP education and enrollment assistance, please complete and submit the information below and we will get in touch with you:

Name / Nombre

First Last

Email /Correo electrónico

Telephone /Teléfono

CAPTCHA

Marca la casilla si no eres un robot.

Clothing and Household Goods

Residents in need can “shop” at our free Clothing Closet and Household Goods Store for gently-used clothing and household items.

Holiday/Seasonal Assistance

Provides consumers with assistance during Easter, Back-to-School time, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Burlington County: 450-460 Veterans Drive, Burlington, NJ 08016 – 856-764-6940
Mercer County: 132 N Warren Street, Trenton NJ 08608 – 609-394-8847
Ocean County: 725 Mantoloking Road, Brick, NJ 08723 – 732-363-5322

Prescription Assistance

When funding is available, eligible consumers can receive financial assistance with medications and medical supplies needed to maintain health and well-being.

Immigration Services

Department of Justice (DOJ)-accredited case managers provide civil legal assistance that is recognized by the Department of Justice (DOJ). Services are available in both English and Spanish. Programs are offered through Catholic Charities’ Community Services and El Centro — a comprehensive resource center for Latino families in Trenton and adjacent communities. Learn more about our full range of our Immigration Services.

Burlington and Mercer Counties: 327 South Broad Street, Trenton, NJ 08608 – 609-394-2056
Monmouth and Ocean Counties:725 Mantoloking Road, Brick, NJ 08723 – 732-363-5322 x3236

Project HOPE

Provides individuals and families who live in poverty and are homeless or facing the threat of homelessness with opportunities to develop skills and resources needed to achieve well-being and lead self-sufficient lives. Core components address:

Workforce Readiness
Health and Wellness Education and Services
Essential Life Skills and Community Living

Employment Support through Rapid Rehousing General Assistance program

Rapid Rehousing General Assistance program provides assistance with the following: money management, credit repair, saving skills, employment support, job referral services, resume review, and job retention.

Mercer County: 132 N Warren Street, Trenton NJ 08608 – 609-394-8847

Homelessness Prevention

Our Homelessness Prevention Program emphasizes both immediate and longer-term strategies for reducing homelessness and strengthening self-sufficiency. While housing units are not offered at all locations, we help individuals and families remain housed through rent/mortgage and utilities assistance.

Rapid Re-Housing

Rapid Rehousing uses a combination of federal (HUD) and county funds to help homeless individuals and families in Mercer and Ocean locate affordable permanent housing and offers 3-6 months of financial assistance. The program focuses on four areas: intensive case management, financial assistance, housing location and multiple types of community support and resources. In Mercer and Ocean counties, Rapid-Re-Housing is one of several programs offered to help individuals and families obtain housing and develop the skills necessary for meeting monthly housing and other living costs. Assistance is available for the following: money management, credit repair, saving skills, employment support, job referral services, resume review, and job retention.

Mercer County: 132 N Warren Street, Trenton NJ 08608 – 609-394-8847
Ocean County: 725 Mantoloking Road, Brick, NJ 08723 – 732-363-5322

Returning Citizens to the Community Program (RCCP)

The RCCP program is open to individuals released from nonfederal secured facilities within one year of application. Applicants must be employed or employable, experiencing homelessness and/or housing instability, and willing to commit to a plan to be permanently and sustainably housed in Mercer County, NJ.

Mercer County: 609-394-8847 ext. 3105

Transitional Housing

Emergency shelter is offered to families in Monmouth County at risk of losing their home through our Linkages program. Parents are provided with job skills and household budget training.

Monmouth County: 4261 Route 33, Tinton Falls NJ 07724 – 732-922-0400

Emergency Temporary Sheltering

In Burlington County, families can seek assistance with emergency sheltering , although it is limited. Homelessness prevention services are offered and referrals to housing resources in the community are also provided.

Burlington County: 450-460 Veterans Drive, Burlington, NJ 08016 – 856-764-6940

Parish Services

Operated through Catholic Charities’ Community Services program, Parish Services provides support for individuals and families referred by parishes in Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean counties. Services include case management, financial assistance, referrals to community resources, and counseling.

Access to Parish Services is only through referral from a parish. A parish referral form, indicating which services are being sought and identifying information needs to be completed by parish personnel and faxed to Community Services.

In Burlington and Mercer counties: 856-764-6940 x6119 or in Monmouth and Ocean counties: 732-363-5322 x3237

Fix It Program

The Fix It program is coordinated through Catholic Charities’ Community Services program in Ocean County. Volunteers, many of them retired seniors themselves, provide minor repairs and yard clean-ups to Ocean County residents ages 60 and older.

Ocean County: 725 Mantoloking Road, Brick, NJ 08723 – 732-363-5322 x3234

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED to perform minor home repairs for seniors in Ocean County with our Fix-It Program. Volunteers do many of the same simple tasks they would do in their own homes. This is a great opportunity for both skilled and unskilled volunteers to give back to their communities.

Please contact Judy Minetree at 732-363-5322 x3234 or email [email protected]

SSI/SSDI Outreach Access and Recovery Program

The SSI/SSDI Outreach Access and Recovery, or SOAR, program aims to increase access to Social Security benefits for Mercer County seniors with substance use and/or mental health diagnoses who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness. SOAR case managers are specially trained to effectively complete and submit SSI/SSDI applications on behalf of elderly clients in need.

Mercer County: 132 N. Warren Street, Trenton NJ 08608 – 609-394-8847 x2532

Senior Case Management Services Program

The Senior Case Management Services, or SCMS, program uses a housing-first model to serve Mercer County residents age 55 or older who are homeless or at risk of homelessness because of substance abuse, mental illness, or both. Case managers work with the staff at the Trenton/Mercer Coordinated Entry and Assessment System (CEASe) Center to increase housing stability by providing psycho-educational resources and referrals to medical, mental health, and/or substance use services.

Mercer County: 132 N. Warren Street, Trenton NJ 08608 – 609-394-8847 x2534

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Call our Access, Help and Information Center at 1-800-360-7711.